Like Two Tears In The Ocean
by S0n 0f J3r1ch0
Summary: One-shot set in the episode 3x20. Ned has just found out that he failed all the questions to Moze's affinity test, and for this reason she chose to stay with Faymen. A deep trip inside Ned's thoughts, to clear his own feelings, once and for all.


\- How'd the tests go? – Cookie asked him, with his same old friendly smile.

Ned's glance was empty, while he harmlessly held the magazine. The roof seemed to be falling on his shoulders.

\- I passed them, but I think I failed the most important one… -

Yes, that's how it went. Cookie was questioningly looking at him, but no any other word could have explained that moment better.

How could he be so stupid?

In less than a week he lost three years, maybe even more. All those years they've been friends, side by side, players in thousands of adventures, inseparable mates in that strenuous trip called "school".

Nobody ever realized anything. It was possible that something between them always existed, floating in the air since day one, but they used to just rather recall their relationship and their closeness to their friendship.

Then, at a certain point, from both sides, something clicked.

Ned stayed motionless, like a statue, in the middle of the hall. He came to think about that day, when Moze's aura was magically enlightened in gold, and the girl reached to look like a beautiful angel. It had happened exactly like he said: when he'd met the right person, he'd recognized it from the bright light around her.

And remembering that very moment, he damned himself for not catching that clear signal: Moze was the perfect girl for him.

If he only had listened to his own words, instead of turning his head to other side and crying about Suzie's leaving, maybe things could have been different.

And maybe, today, he could have stood in the place of that Brazilian stretchy.

But he lost her.

And it was all his own fault.

In the past few days, he prioritized only school, grades and tests: to feed those little hopes of being passed to high school, he even decided to become a whole different person. Funny thing, if so call, he accomplished his mission, and when he realized it he thought he'd never been so happy.

But by doing that, he'd lost sight of everything. He left all the rest of his world behind. The fear for the tests and for a possible failure, made him so blind that he could not even see what was going on around him.

Moze always thought she was smarter than him, and this time she was certainly right. She was the first one to realize that something had changed, to think about them as a couple. She should have done that, otherwise, why that test?

He had never imagined something like that. But yet, there had been a moment when he realized that together, they could have meant something. Unfortunately, it was in that very moment that the hurricane called Faymen stroked on Polk, wiping and ruining everything away.

Faymen Phorchin.

Now Moze was with him.

Since the first time he heard about him, he noticed how that name was composed by a tricky detail, even funny, by the way.

Same pronunciation, his name could have been also read as " _fame and fortune_ ".

Those Faymen had, while Ned could only dream about them.

Because it was all about it, after all. Faymen was the complete package: tall, charming, funny, rich, a soccer young gun, loved by everyone.

Ned was… how did Loomer use to call him? Shrimp, rookie, loser. Girls like all these things, don't they?

So, why should Moze leave Faymen to stay with him?

Moze gave him a chance, and he blew it.

Would he ever be able to walk those aisles again, without feeling regrets for Moze, and grudge for the guy who took away from him the most important thing in his life?

Because yes, now he was ready to admit what, for so long time, he did hide from himself: he was in love with his best friend Moze.

And what was paining him the most, was knowing that his feelings were not the same that he claimed to have for Moze since day one.

This time it seemed more beautiful, true and right.

He loved the girl with the big brown eyes.

And that was exactly why he would never give up on her. In the last three years he lasted against bullies, insane teachers and gross school lunches, and now he would have stood for Moze.

Faymen won the first round, but the match was far from over. And at the end of the game, Ned would have raised to the sky his prize: Moze.

So, starting from tomorrow, let's go with Gordy's plan!

With the awareness that, in one way or another, he would have made a reckless and spectacular leap of faith.

A lot was at stake. A friendship, which risked to be definitely ruined. A happiness, which he hoped to find in her. A love, the true one.

He would have not accepted another failure.

 _However, he wrote an entire survival guide, how come he could not find any useful tips in there, when he really needs them?_


End file.
